http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57627-2004Sep2.html
For the Record
GOP Prism Distorts Some Kerry Positions
By Glenn Kessler and Dan Morgan
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, September 3, 2004; Page A01
Speakers at this week's Republican convention have relentlessly attacked
John F. Kerry for statements he has made and votes he has taken in his long
political career, but a number of their specific claims -- such as his votes
on military programs -- are at best selective and in many cases stripped of
their context, according to a review of the documentation provided by the
Bush campaign.
As a senator, Kerry has long been skeptical of big-ticket weapons systems,
especially when measured against rising budget deficits, and to some extent
he opened himself to this line of attack when he chose to largely skip over
his Senate career during his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention
last month. But the barrage by Republicans at their own convention has often
misportrayed statements or votes that are years, if not decades, old.
For instance:
. Kerry did not cast a series of votes against individual weapons systems,
as Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) suggested in a slashing convention speech in New
York late Wednesday, but instead Kerry voted against a Pentagon spending
package in 1990 as part of deliberations over restructuring and downsizing
the military in the post-Cold War era.
. Both Vice President Cheney and Miller have said that Kerry would like to
see U.S. troops deployed only at the direction of the United Nations, with
Cheney noting that the remark had been made at the start of Kerry's
political career. This refers to a statement made nearly 35 years ago, when
Kerry gave an interview to the Harvard Crimson, 10 months after he had
returned from the Vietnam War angry and disillusioned by his experiences
there. (President Bush at the time was in the Air National Guard, about to
earn his wings.)
. President Bush, Cheney and Miller faulted Kerry for voting against body
armor for troops in Iraq. But much of the funding for body armor was added
to the bill by House Democrats, not the administration, and Kerry's vote
against the entire bill was rooted in a dispute with the administration over
how to pay for $20 billion earmarked for reconstruction of Iraq.
In remarks prepared for delivery last night, Kerry denounced the Republican
convention for its "anger and distortion" and criticized Cheney for avoiding
the military draft during the Vietnam era.
Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt defended the statements made by
convention speakers, though he declined to address details beyond supplying
the campaign's citations of votes. "Whether it was in the '70s, '80s or
'90s, Sen. Kerry has demonstrated a general pattern of hostility to a strong
national defense," Holt said.
Votes cast by lawmakers are often twisted by political opponents, and both
political parties are adept at combing through legislative records to score
political points. Former senator Robert J. Dole's voting record was
frequently distorted by the Clinton campaign eight years ago -- as well as
by his GOP rivals for the Republican nomination.
One document frequently cited by Republicans is a 350-word article in the
Boston Globe, written when Kerry was lieutenant governor of Massachusetts
and battling to win the Democratic nomination for senator in 1984 -- a
period of soaring deficits in the wake of a huge defense buildup by
President Ronald Reagan. Calling for a "strong defense," the article said,
Kerry proposed to slow the rate of growth in defense spending by canceling
27 weapons systems, in part to reduce the deficit and also restore cuts
Reagan had made in domestic programs.
While Cheney said Kerry opposed Reagan's "major defense initiatives," the
campaign does not cite any votes against such defense programs while Reagan
was president, relying instead on a campaign speech before he was elected
senator.
Six years later, Kerry took part in a complex and serious debate in Congress
over how to restructure the military after the Cold War.
Cheney, at the time defense secretary, had scolded Congress for keeping
alive such programs as the F-14 and F-16 jet fighters that he wanted to
eliminate. Miller said in his speech that Kerry had foolishly opposed both
the weapons systems and would have left the military armed with "spitballs."
During that same debate, President George H.W. Bush, the current president's
father, proposed shutting down production of the B-2 bomber -- another
weapons system cited by Miller -- and pledged to cut defense spending by 30
percent in eight years.
Though Miller recited a long list of weapons systems, Kerry did not vote
against these specific weapons on the floor of the Senate during this
period. Instead, he voted against an omnibus defense spending bill that
would have funded all these programs; it is this vote that forms the crux of
the GOP case that he "opposed" these programs.
On the Senate floor, Kerry cast his vote in terms of fiscal concerns, saying
the defense bill did not "represent sound budgetary policy" in a time of
"extreme budget austerity." Much like Bush's father, he singled out the B-2
bomber for specific attention, saying it is "one of the most costly,
waste-ridden programs in a long history of waste, fraud and abuse scandals
that have plagued Pentagon spending."
Asked why the campaign was attacking Kerry for having similar positions as
Cheney, White House communications director Dan Bartlett responded: "I don't
have the specifics of [when] then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney was in
charge of the Pentagon, but I think we'd be more than willing to have a
debate on whether Dick Cheney or John Kerry was stronger on defense."
Appearing on CNN, Miller said he had "gotten documentation on every single
one of those votes that I talked about."
Cheney, in his own speech, skipped over that period, going directly from
Kerry's vote against authorization for the first Persian Gulf War to the
post-Sept. 11, 2001, period.
Republican documents also cite a long list of Kerry votes against various
weapons systems, including the B-2 bomber. But Kerry's opposition in the
1990s often hinged on his concerns about the impact on the budget deficit of
congressional efforts to add money for the plane.
"We are going to build B-2 bombers even though the Pentagon does not want
the B-2 bombers, even though the Pentagon never submitted a request for the
B-2 bombers," Kerry said during a budget debate in October 1995.
Kerry's vote last year against the administration's $87 billion proposal to
fund troops in Iraq and pay for Iraqi reconstruction has also been the focus
of Republican attacks. "My opponent and his running mate voted against this
money for bullets, and fuel, and vehicles, and body armor," Bush said last
night.
Kerry actually supported all those things, but as part of a different
version of the bill opposed by the administration. At the time, many
Republicans were uncomfortable with the administration's plans and the White
House had to threaten a veto against the congressional version to bring
reluctant lawmakers in line.
In a floor statement explaining his vote, Kerry said he favored the $67
billion for the troops on the ground -- "I support our troops in Iraq and
their mission" -- but faulted the administration's $20 billion request for
reconstruction. He complained that administration "has only given us a set
of goals and vague timetables, not a detailed plan."
Yesterday, the State Department said that only $1 billion of that money has
been spent in the 11 months since the bill was passed.
Researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.
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_____
From: Howie Hamlin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2004 12:40 AM
To: CF-Community
Subject: Re: President's speech
The night before, without pointing out that many times votes in the Senate
are way more complicated than aye or nay and the fact that Dick Cheney also
voted the same way, Zell Miller attacked Kerry over voting against some big
ticket military funding (this happened years ago when Cheney was in the
Senate). Well - after the speech Wolf Blitzer interview Miller and called
him on it (classic!). Blitzer said - point blank - that Miller did not
mention in his speech that Cheney also voted the same way as Kerry. And -
Millers response? He said that he's talking about Kerry and that has
nothing to do with anyone else. Sheesh.
It's interesting to see what Miller saif about Kerry only a few years ago -
what a sellout.
http://miller.senate.gov/speeches/030101jjdinner.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: Marlon Moyer
To: CF-Community
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 10:54 PM
Subject: President's speech
Anyone else listening to the speech? I heard they just had to escort a
couple of people out since they were making their disapproval of his
statements known.
I do have to say I'm getting really tired of the S.O.S. I heard GW
mention
that Kerry said "You could find the heart and soul of America in
Hollywood".
I think I remember someone on this list pointing out that isn't anywhere
near what he said. I guess politics is politics. I sure would like some
meat to these speeches though. Both have seemed like pep rallies.
Marlon
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